Candy-making machine



Mar., e; 1923, 1,447,9l4

F. WAlDA CANDY MAKING MAcHNE Filed Mar. 16, 1921 2 sheetssheet lI www.

Mar. 6, 1923. 1,447,914

F. WAIDA CANDY MAKING MACHINE Filed Mar. 16, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Mar. 6, 1923,

FRANK WAIDA, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIeNon fro MARY n. WAIDA, or CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

CANDY-MAKING MACHINE.

Application filed March 1e, 192i. serial No. 452,711. I

pressed to uniform regular disk or mint size.

1t is also an object of the invention to provide a machine of this character with means for flattening and finishing the lateral surfaces of the mint or candy to improve thereby the appearance of the finished article, as compared withV those inachines in which the sides are not smoothened.

The invention also has the object of automatically discharging the completed articles and to prevent the entrance of unsuitable pieces of material into the machine.

It is also an object of the invention to prevent the candy from sticking to the parts of the machine, and to facilitate the removal of the articles from the machine by periodically vibrating or striking a blow against the compartment in which the treatment is carried out.

lV ith these and other numerous objects in view an embodiment of the invention is de-` scribed in the following specification in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings:

1n the drawings:

y Fig. l is a top plan view of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a` fragmentary top plan view showing certain parts in different positions;

Fig. 3 yis a transverse sectional view through the machine on line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig.' 4L is an` end view of the machine, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are yelevational views in a different scale of a piece of candy, shown betere and after treatment, respectively.

A casing 1, preferably rectangular in shape, is open on thetop and is provided with a movable bottom 2. It is supported by the legs 3 and it is subdivided by stationary longitudinal walls 4, into several large compartments, two being shown in the embodii'nent illustrated, although the number of are shown to be liXed relatively to the cas# ing, serve for receiving movable abutments, plungers or compression elements 8 which cooperate with the stationary abutments or transverse partition walls 6 to compress pieces P of candy while the latter is in plastic condition, and to convert the same into r the ordinary form of mint, shown atM in F ig. 6. Y

A plurality of the movablepartition Walls or abutments 8 are interconnected by longitudinal members 9 which are slidably disposed within the compartments 5, these members beingjguided through cut-out portions 10 at the ends of the transverse partition walls 6; these longitudinal connecting members are shown in Figs. 1 and y8 to be lclosely adjacent to the longitudinalwalls of the compartments. The connecting members 9 for the movable abutments are, therefore, suitably guided on each side of the compartment, and owing to these guiding elements the movable abutments are permanently ke t in alignment. The two longitudinal connecting members 9 in each of the compart-V ments 5 of the casing are united by an outer wall 12, at each end of the/'slide thus formed These walls 12 serve for supporting rods 13 which pass through Suitable openings in thc end walls of the casing. Nuts 14 at the ends of the rods serve for securing the same adj ustably to theend walls 12. The rods 13 of each pair are united near theiryfree ends by a transverse member 15 on which brackets 16 for rotatably supporting a roller 17 are mounted. This construction of the roller 17 with the supports for the same and the connection of these supports with the end Walls 12 of the slide, is repeated on each end of the casing thereby forming a complete selfcontained structure for all movable abutments and which 'is movable longitudinally of the casing when one roller 17 is pushed in one direction, and movable in the other direction when the other roller is actuated in the same Way. n

In order to effect the reciprocatory movement of the structure withinthe casing and to bring thereby the movable abutmentsS alternately into and out of operative position with respect to the stationary abutments 6, a pair of cani wheels are provided, one at each end of the machinel rlhe cam wheels or disks 2O and 2l, respectively, are fixed to a shaft 22 which is rotataby supported in bearings 23 on one of the longitudinal walls of the casing l. This shaft receives its drive from a pulley 2l or in some other suitable way. llach of these disks 2O and2i is provided on the inner face with an arcuate cam 25 which extends approximately in circumferential direction and which rises 'from the plane of the disk surface to a distance from said surface, as indicated in Fig. l. The cams are preferably offset 1800 with respect to each other7 with the result that in .each complete revolution of the shaft 22, one ofl these cams 25 will act upon the roller 17 at one end of the casing alternatively with the action of the other cam 25 on the roller 17 at the other end. Owing to this intermittent alternative action upon the opposite ends of the slide, the latter will be recipro- `cated in the interior of the casing, thereby moving the abutments Scarried by the struc- Vture into and out of operative position with respect to the stationary abntments. In the drawing shown in Fig. l the roller 17 at the right hand end of the casing is shown as being influenced by the cam of the disk 20, thereby having` moved the slide to the left. The movable abutment indicated at is shown in operative position with respect to the stationary abutments GX, thereby compressing that piece of candy (not shown) which has been introduced into the space between rthese movable and stationary abutments prior to compression. In Fig. 2 the position of these parts is shown slightly altered, the movable abutment member 8X being now at a relatively large distance from the station ary labutments 6X and permitting thereby a new piece of material of suitable size and of tae shape shown in Fig. 5, to drop into the space betweenthe wo abutments.

From Figs. l and 2 it will also bc noted that the slide may be moved so as to bring rthe successively movable abutments 8 into cooperation with different or opposite surfaces of the same stationary abutments 6. 'lhe abutment `8X which first, as in Fig. l, was .at a relatively large distance fromthe Aabutment GY, is now so closely positioned to lthe same that the candy maybe compressed between kthese parts to approximately the shape shown in llig. 6.

The bottom 2 of the casing is connected yby hinges 26 to one of the longitudinal edges of the side wall of the casing l. In order to discharge the compressed material from the chambers in which it vhas been tre-ated the bottomi2 is tilted andthis tilting preferably coincides with the periods during` which the movable plungers 8 are out of operative relation with the stationary abutments 6. This bottom 2 has a tendency to swing by its own weight into the position indicated in dotted lines in F lt is, however, held normally in the position indicated in full lines by means of a retaining bar 27 which is pivotally secured to a transverse rod 28 supported in bearings which preferably are secured to the legs 3 of the machine. This retaining bar 27 projects at one end of the machine as shown in Fig. l at the right hand end, underneath a bar 29 which is fastened in a suitable way to the lower surface of the bottoni wall 2 and which is extended beyond the end wall of the machine, so as to be engaged from below by the projecting` latchbar 27. rlhe bar is permanently forced yieldingly into engagement with this part of the bottoni 2 and for thispurjnose collar 30,

lrigidly secured on the stationary rod 28, has

nxed thereto a springl, the other end of which is secured to a projecting hook or the like 32 on thekbar 27, to hold the same normally in the position illustrated in liig ure 3 and Figure l. An extension 33, preferably integral with the 27 projects into the path of one. or more eccentric pins 35 secured to the disk 20, and, according to Fig. l, located on the outer face of the same. lt will be seen, therefore, that during the rotation of the disk 20 and a predetermined period after the roller 17 has been moved to actuate the slide structure into operative position, an eccentric pin 35 will enga-ge the 'extension 3:1, of the bar 27, thereby forcing this extension downwardly. rllhe bottom 2 under its own weight, will then drop into thc position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the projection 29 remaining in engagement Awith the latch -bar 27, whereby after the pasY sage of the roller 35 over the end 33 ofthe bai' 27, the latter is forcibly again drawn upwardly by the spring 30 under coaction. of the weight 36 to arrive again in` the position indicated in full lines. The disk 20.which con trois the movable abutments 8 therefore also effects in the present constructiona discharge of the treated material troni-the machine.

This discharge of treated articles is facilitated by the provision of a hammer or the like which strikes a blow against a wall of the casing, so as to vibrate the same and to cause the removal of those objects which n'iightotherwise have a tendency to adhere to the `same. A hammer'block 4t() is yfixed to an oscillata-ble shaft 41, approximately midway of the length of the machine, and as shown in Fig. 3 is constructed as an angular member which normally by its own weight has a tendency to lean against the adjacent wall of the casing or to strike the same. The rock shaft 4:11 which ris also-supported in bearings 42 projecting from the casing, is provided .with an adjustable eol lar 48 on which Ya spring 4:4; is secured, The

FIJ

other end of this spring is anchored to a fixed pin 45 or the like projecting from an end Wall of the casing. f, therefore, a rocking movement is imparted to the shaft 4l in a direction in which the spring 44 is tensioned, the springgrupon release of the shaft, 'Will return Ithe latter forcibly into its previous position. As the shaft is Weighted in the present instance, bythe attachinent of the hammer 40 to the same, the momentum vof the parts ivill have ay tendency to carry the shaft beyond the vposition it occupied at first, and a lsharp `blow will, therefore, be struck by thehainmer under spring tension against the Wall of the casing. The means controlling the `opera.- tion of the compressing elements 8, in the present case the disk 2l also serves for iniparting this movement to the rock shaft 4l andfor this purpose this diskcarries one or 47 the spring Will forcibly throw the hamnier 40 against the side Wall, thereby releasing the finished articles Which otherwisel might have stuck thereto.

Means are also provided yto prevent the entrance into the various compressing cham` bers of` pieces of excessive size or to prevent that chunks of candy consistingof tvvo or more of the knobs` P should enter thel same compartment or should remain suspended on the top edge of one or more movable or immovable abutments.

For this purpose a plurality-of obstruc-v tions are placed into the path of the articles and these obstructions are arranged with respect to the chambers in Which the candy is compressed in such manner that the `candy if of proper size will be deflected into one of the chambers or if'of excessive sizevvill be prevented from coming into contact lvvithan edge of any chamber.

A plurality of fingers is mounted onj each of tvvo rock `shafts 61, which aresupfl ported in bearing lugs 62 on the walls 4of the casing. These fingers, which may be of stiff Wire or the like, project from these rock shafts over .the top of the machine, and as indicated in Figs. l and 2 are each adapted i to oscillate in a vert-ical plane which is somewhat close to thestationary abutments'6 of` the casing. The articles of the proper size,

i therefore, may dropony each side of the abutment 8, but if there should be tvvo of the knobs P not completelyk cut through by the stick cut-ting maachine v(Which Vis not shown in the drawing), this yset of interconnected knobs lP will be caught ,by these projecting fingers and will be prevented' from dropping into any of the chambers or even from contactingthe edges of the same. These fingers 60 project from .each side towards the center plane ofthe machine and are 1ocated' ysomewhat offset to each other. This l arrangementcorresponds With the location of the stationary abut'menvts 6 against which the candy. mass is'A compressed, and they,V

therefore, effectively prevent the' entrance of pieces of excessive size vor of a set of-interconnected vknobs P.. They aid, however, in defiecting pieces of proper size to oneside or the other, thereby distributing the articles uniformly. .Masses of lexcessive size Will be caught by the fingers, .which serve for eliminating these pieces from the path of other pieces fed into the machine,`the elimination being due to aFsWingingmovement of the fingers.

This again is y j shafts 6l on which the fingers' 60 are mounted. The shaft 22 is provided With a cam 68,

projecting intermittently against `a' hookshaped cam 64 which is located on theend of one of these rock shafts 61. During the `rotation ofthe main shaft 22, therefore., thev `produced by rocking the x sin cam 63 intermittently strikes the hook on the rockjshaft 4and swingsv the is'a'nie.y Thisl is lifted, it tvill also liftjthel finger 67 and thereby cause the rocking movement of the the sets ofthe obstructions isfalctuatefd dii'ectly'by the drive shaft 22 of the machine `through the provision ofsufitable'cains, v64, this first setv 1sl `in engagement! with a contro-lling element ofthe lsecond set of yobstructions and causes operation of the latter. After thepassage of thefcam 63 over the hook64` thefrock shafts'61 which areffreely.l

-oscillatablehave a tendency to `'swing back by gravity into the previous position and this return` movement isfacilitated lby a Weighted army 68 which is coniiecte'dkviththe secondrrock shaft. This .armipreferably' is at that end of the. rock shaft which is opposite the arml 67. `This rockshaft being forcibly `returned oiving tothe Weight 68 and having a finger 67 which.` overlies the other arm 66 will, therefore, induce areturn movement ofthe first mentioned rockshaft. The' latter vvill aga-in drop into the position indicated vin Fig. 4, in which the arm 66 strikes a stop 70` which is secured to the endwvall of the casing. f

From the above, the operation' of the mal second shaft 61. While, therefore, one 'of u .pieces into the same.

chine will be understood. llhe masses of candy which are cut from a semi-plasticstick, preferably of annular cross-section, and which have the shape indicated in Fig.

Q5, are dropped through a suitable chute, not

held up by the obstruction fingers 60 and will remain, therefore, suspended on these fingers above the top edge of the casing. ln the rotation of the disks 20, 21 produced in some suitable way, the cams 25 will alternately act on the rollers 17, and thereby shift the movable abutments `8 of the various individual pressure chambers to compress the candy to the mint form, as indicated at M in Fig. 6. In the continued rotation the cam or eccentric pin 85 will strike against the extension 33 on the bar 27, which is forcibly held upwardly and which holds the bottom 2 in closed position. Upon the forced descent of this extension 33 the bottom will drop by gravity and the compressed candy will be discharged from the various compartments or chambers, the more so as this release of the bottom occurs after the movable abutments 8 are not influenced any more by the cam 25. rhis discharge of the compressed candy is furthermore facilitated by the vibration which is imparted to the casing through, the hammer 40, this hammer being under the control of the pins 46, acting` in rapid succession on the arm 47, which is connected to the rock shaft 41 of the hammer. The hammer itself is moved under spring pressure against the end wall of they casing, the pins 46 merely serving the object of tensioning the spring 44 and raising the hammer to a distance from the side wall of the casing. 4rlllhe fingers 60, which serve as obstruction ele-ments to prevent the entrance of pieces of excessive size into the compression chambers and which, thereby, eliminate lthat interference which might be produced by these pieces in the operation of the machine, are then moved, owing to the ven, fmgement of the. hook 64 by the cam 63 and these excessive pieces which have `not undergone any compression are thrown out ofthe machine and may either be cut up immediately so as to make possible theirproper passage through the machine, or if they cannot. be treated in this machine and form waste products of sufficient value they can be sold cheaper, or may be boiled. again in a new lbatch of candy.,

claim:

l. ln a machine of the character described' the combination of a casing, a plurality of compression members movable within said casing, means for actuating said compression members, and means for producing an intermittent vibration of wall portions of said casing. y

2. 1n a machine of the character described,

the combination of a casing, a plurality of pression members within the casing, means for actuating said compression members, and means associated therewith for intermittently setting up vibration of wallportions of the casing, subsequent to each actuation of said compression members.

5. ln a machine of the character described, the combination of a casing, compression members within the casing, means for reciprocating said compression members, a spring controlled hammer, and means under the control of the means which actuate the compression members for alternately tensioning the spring ofthe hammer and releasing' the same. Y

6. In a machine ofthe character described, the combination of a casing, compression members therein, a rotary cam disk and means under control of the cam for reciprocating said compression members, a rock shaft, a hammer block mounted on said rock shaft and normally leaning against the wall of the casing, a spring for yieldingly retaining the hammer in said position, and means under control of the cam disk for alternately tensioning and yreleasing the spring to cause the hammer to strike blows against the wall of the casing.

7. n a machine of the character described, the combination of a casing, a plurality of compression members movable within the casing, a cam disk actuating said compression members, a rock shaft supported by the casing, a hammer secured to said rock shaft, a spring associated with said rock shaft and casing for normally forcing said hammer against the wall of the casing, an arm on said rock shaft and an eccentric in on the cam disk adapted to actuate said to rock the shaft and tension the spring, said spring upon release being adapted to forcibly move the hammer in direction towards the Wall or" the casing. y y

8. ln a machine or' the character described,

the combination of a casing, a'plurality or" compression members movable therein, means for actuating said compression members, a hammer, means under control of the compression Vmember actuating means for removing the hammer from the casing, and means for forcibly returning the hammer against said casing.

9. ln amachine of the character described, the combination of a casing divided into la plurality of compression chambers, compression members movable Within the casing, means for actuating these compression membears, obstructing elements overlying said compression chambers and adapted to prevent the entry of pieces of excessive size into said chambers, and means "for swinging said obstruction elements in opposite directions.

l0. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a casing divided into a plurality of compression chambers, compression members movable Within the casing, means for actuating said compression members, a rock shaft, obstructing elements secured to said rock shaft, and overlying said compression chambers, and means for intermittently actuating said roclr shaft.

ll. In a machine of' Ithe character described, the combination ol a casing divided into a plurality or compression chambers, compression members movable Within the casing, a rotary shaft, means under control of the shaft for actuating said compression members, a plurality of obstruction elements overlying the compression chambers and adapted to prevent the entry of pieces of excessive size into said compression cham bers, and means controlled by the shaft ior vactuating said obstruction elements.

l2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a casing divided into a plurality of compression chambers,

compression members movable therein, obstruction elements overlying said compression chambers and adapted to prevent the entry of pieces of excessive size into said chambers, and common, rotary means from which actuation of said compression members and obstructing elements is controlled.

i3. ln a machine of the lcharacter described, trie combination of a casing divided into a plurality of chambers, compression members movable Within said casing, obstruction elements overlying said chambers and adapted to retain pieces oi excessive size in a plane above said chambers, means for controlling the actuation of said members and means for actuating said obstructing elements, to remove the pieces retained by said obstruction elements from 'their position above the, casing.

lli. ln a machinegoi vthe character described, the combination of a casing divided into a plurality of chambers compression members movable IWithin said chambers, tiltable obstructing elements overlying said chambers, and adapted to vprevent the entry oi'pieces of excessive size into the same, and a common shaft controlling the reciprocating movement of said compression members and the tilting movement of said obstruc` tion elements.

l5. ln a machine of the character described, thefcombination of a casing divided into a plurality of chambers, compression members movable Within the casing, obstruction elements overlying saidcompression chambers, and a common shaft for controlling rectilinear inovement of said com pression members and successive tilting movement of said obstruction elements.

16. In a machine of the character described, the combination of acasing, having several series "of, compression chambers, compression members movable Within said chambers, means .for actuating said compres` siony members, a plurality of series of obstructing elements,l corresponding -vvith the number of series or' compression chambers, means for simultaneously actuating said compression members in all series, and means for simultaneously actuating the obstructing elements in all series. n

17. ln a machine of thev character described, y the combination of a casing, a plurality of compression chambers in` said casing, obstruction elements arranged in several series above the compression chambers of the casing, means for positively actuating one of said series and means connected with said actuated series for causing actuation or' a second series of obstructing elements. l f

18. In a machine `of the character described, the vcombination oit av casing, a plurality of compression chambers therein, obstruction elements above the chambers, positively acting means for actuatingcertain of said obstruction elements,l and means associated With' said vcertain obstruction elements for actuating certainother obstruction elements. I i

19. ln a'machineof the'character described, the combination of a casingv having a plurality of compression chambers,"ob j de- ,Y

compression members movable within said easing means for actuating said compres sion members, a bottom to said easing, means for normally retaiiiing` said bottom in closed position, positively acting` means for permitting the bottom to open, a bammer, means for striking said hammer against a Wall of the casing, obstruction elements overlying said chambers, means for actuating said obstruction elements to remove i0 for the obstruction elements, being conl5 trollecl by the same shaft. t

in Witness whereof ll affix my signature.

FRANK WAIDA. 

